Callista's POV:
My friends and the twins ended up staying until dinner — and honestly, I wasn't even surprised anymore.
It was practically a party at this point.
Oh, and they were treated like real royalty by Aurelius's multi-purpose bodyguards.
I mean real royalty.
Red carpets rolled out wherever they walked, silver platters presented at every opportunity, personal fans waving gentle breezes over them like they were ancient emperors.
Phelia was loving it, lounging on a chaise like Cleopatra reborn.
Simon acted like he was still too cool for it, but he wasn't fooling anyone—especially not with how he kept sneaking extra hors d'oeuvres when he thought no one was looking.
Xavier?
He was already halfway through accepting the bodyguards' offer to "polish his sneakers" before he realized how ridiculous it was.
The twins, Aurora and Lucien, were in absolute heaven.
Aurora had a flower crown braided into her hair, and Lucien had somehow acquired a wooden sword and a royal-looking cape.
They looked like a princess and prince from a fairytale book come to life.
Meanwhile, I sat at the head of the dinner table, feeling more like the overwhelmed governess trying to manage a bunch of unruly noble kids.
Aurelius, of course, sat beside me, acting like he'd planned this chaos on purpose.
The massive dining room was filled with the clatter of silverware and laughter.
The chandeliers overhead bathed everything in warm gold light, and a dozen courses were served with perfect timing: roasted lamb, buttered vegetables, handmade pasta, desserts that looked too pretty to eat.
One of the bodyguards, acting as the "Royal Announcer" for the evening, cleared his throat dramatically before presenting dessert.
"May I present," he said, with the seriousness of a butler in a Victorian novel, "The Golden Chocolate Lava Cake, accompanied by artisan gelato."
The kids cheered.
My friends applauded.
I... just put my face into my hands.
Aurelius leaned over and whispered in my ear, his voice low and teasing,
"You could get used to this, you know."
I peeked at him through my fingers. "You planned this madness, didn't you?"
He smirked. "Maybe."
I groaned again, but deep inside...
A tiny part of me was smiling too.
I picked up my books after dinner, determined—absolutely determined—to actually get some studying done tonight.
Everyone else was lounging around the grand hall like they were on a never-ending vacation.
But not me.
I had a future to secure!
I marched back to my study room, stacked my textbooks like bricks around me, and opened my laptop again.
Peace.
Silence.
Finally.
Or so I thought.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I looked up—and there he was.
Aurelius.
Leaning casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking way too smug for someone who wasn't supposed to be doing anything.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"I swear, if you're here to bother me—"
He just smirked wider.
Then he strolled inside like he owned the place (which, technically, he kinda did now) and plopped himself down onto the couch, right across from my desk, tossing a pillow into the air like he had nothing better to do.
I slammed my pen down and pointed at him accusingly.
"Aurelius Caelum Valemont!" I snapped, "Behave for once! I'm trying to study here!"
He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"Am I not behaving?" he said innocently, flipping the pillow again.
"You breathing near me is distracting enough!" I barked, already feeling my focus slipping again.
He laughed softly, running a hand through his messy hair, making it even worse.
"You're cute when you're mad," he said simply.
I choked on air.
Glaring at him even harder, I buried my face behind my laptop screen.
Focus, Callista. Focus. Pretend he doesn't exist.
From the corner of my eye, I saw him settle more comfortably on the couch, pulling out a book of his own.
Maybe... just maybe... he'd leave me alone now.
Until he added casually, without even looking up,
"By the way, you forgot to carry the one on that math problem you're struggling with."
I froze.
Turned slowly.
How did he even know that—?!
He winked.
"I was peeking. You're welcome."
I let out a frustrated growl and threw a pencil at him.
He caught it one-handed, still smirking.
It was going to be a long night.
But then...
I paused, frowning at my messy scribbles.
If he noticed that mistake from all the way over there... maybe—just maybe—he could actually help me?
I tapped my pen nervously against the desk, then peeked over at him.
He was still lazily flipping through his book, like he had no care in the world, perfectly relaxed.
Swallowing my pride (and a whole lot of annoyance), I mumbled,
"Aurelius..."
He glanced up immediately, those sharp eyes meeting mine.
"Can you help me with this?" I asked, lifting my notebook in a small, defeated gesture.
His smirk deepened into something softer — almost... pleased.
He set his book down and stood up, stretching his arms casually before strolling over to me.
"You sure you want my help?" he teased, leaning one hand on the back of my chair and peering down at my notes.
"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't desperate," I grumbled under my breath.
He chuckled lowly and pulled a chair up beside me, sitting so close our arms almost brushed.
"Alright," he said, tapping the edge of my notebook, "show me where you got stuck."
I flipped to the mess of equations I'd been tearing my hair out over.
He studied them for a moment, then picked up a pen with easy confidence.
"Here," he said smoothly, circling one part of the equation. "You made a miscalculation here. You forgot the negative when you moved this term over. See?"
I blinked.
Holy crap.
He was... actually good at this??
He continued explaining, his voice calm, patient, even gentle.
Breaking down every step, every little connection, in a way that suddenly made everything click in my brain.
I found myself nodding, scribbling furiously as he spoke.
Within minutes, the whole problem was solved.
I sat back in my chair, stunned.
"Wow..." I muttered. "You're like... secretly a nerd."
He gave me a mock-offended look.
"Excuse you. I'm a strategic genius, not a nerd."
I snorted. "Same thing."
He just laughed, low and warm, and flicked my forehead lightly with his finger.
"Focus, Ms. Moreau. You still have more studying to do," he said with a wicked grin.
I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling too.
Maybe... having Aurelius around wasn't the worst thing after all.
By the time I glanced up at the clock, it was already 11:21 p.m.
Everyone else had already left the mansion hours ago—Phelia, Xavier, Simon, even the twins.
The giant house that was once buzzing with noise now felt almost too quiet, filled only with the sound of pages flipping and my pen scratching furiously against paper.
It was almost midnight...
And here I was.
Still studying.
After all, tomorrow was the exam.
The exam that determined way too much of my future for me to risk slacking off now.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to stay awake.
Aurelius was still there, sitting across from me, one leg lazily thrown over the other, skimming through a textbook like it was light reading.
How was he not even tired?
Meanwhile, I was starting to see numbers float and dance on the page.
"You're pushing yourself too hard," Aurelius said suddenly, not even looking up.
"I'm fine," I mumbled, stubbornly flipping to the next chapter.
"You're not," he said, standing up and walking toward me.
In one smooth motion, he plucked the pen out of my hand and closed my notebook.
"Hey!" I protested, trying to grab it back.
He leaned down, caging me in with one arm braced against the desk, his face so close to mine that I froze.
"You need to rest," he said, voice low and firm.
"I need to pass," I whispered back, stubbornness rising.
He studied me for a long second...
Then sighed, long and deep, like I was the most troublesome thing he'd ever had the pleasure of dealing with.
"Fine," he said, straightening up. "One more hour. No more."
I nodded quickly, ready to dive back into my notes.
But then—
Without warning—
He reached out and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
My heart stumbled painfully against my ribs.
"After that," he said softly, "I'm carrying you to bed if I have to."
I stared up at him, speechless.
Aurelius just smirked again, then tossed my pen back to me with a playful wink before strolling back to his spot on the couch like nothing had happened.
I caught the pen midair, cheeks burning, and buried myself back into my notes.
Study now. Panic later.
End of Chapter 22.